The invention relates to an apparatus for coating and/or etching substrates in a vacuum chamber, having a coating source, for example a cathode bearing a target or an etching anode and a rotatable structure that can be moved in relation to the coating source, a substrate holder on said structure, and a power supply system. A suitable substrate holder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,350,455.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,896 describes apparatus in which the substrates are disposed on a polygonal body which is mounted on the cover of the vacuum chamber. It is only with difficulty that the substrates can be fastened on the substrate holder and removed therefrom.
DD 225 451 A1 discloses a positioning drive for the angular etching of substrates, especially semiconductor wafers. The drive is disposed in a vacuum chamber of a dry etching apparatus, is connected with a substrate plate holding the substrates, and moves the substrate plate, which is integrated in a substrate holder, into an etching position from 0.degree. to 90.degree. in the high vacuum. The substrate holder assumes additional airlocking and treatment positions successively in a linear direction of movement, while on the portion of the substrate holder that is not adjustable for the etching angle the pivoting substrate plate is mounted on a pivot shaft. At right angles to the pivot shaft of the substrate plate a plate is disposed which contains a cam track. An element for the transmission of a rotatory movement is fixed to the pivot shaft and is in driving engagement with an additional transmission element rotatably disposed on the part of the substrate holder that is not adjustable for the etching angle, and it has at a distance from its axis of rotation an element which engages the cam track of the plate. The cam track is so configured that the substrate plate, upon the movement of the substrate holder in the area of the etching position, is turned at an angle of 0.degree. and 90.degree. to the axis of the ion source, while the center of the substrate surface always maintains its position in the ion stream in the greatest variety of etching positions.
This known apparatus has the disadvantage of being extremely complicated in construction and therefore very much liable to give trouble.